A $12.6bn investment in VET will nurture Australian talent, in a move away from looking to international students to fill skills shortages.

Student visa grant rates remain a concern for Australia’s VET sector after a slump in issuance rates in the second half of 2022.

Peak bodies have submitted a statement to the Australian government on concerns relating to onshore student transfer practices adopted by some providers.

Australia's vocational providers are well placed to ramp up offshore activities and help emerging countries fill skills gaps, according to a report by KPMG. It identifies five Asian countries, including China and India, as needing help to upskill populations.

Australia is experiencing its strongest ever start to the year, bar its peak year of 2009, and has seen 21% growth across all international education sectors, latest AEI statistics have revealed. Yet growth is namely across higher education and Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP) providers, meaning it is not as balanced as it seems.

One of the largest English language competitions ever to be held in China will run next year, as part of a new agreement to build ties between Chinese polytechnics and Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. The competition will be promoted across all of China’s 1,200 polytechnics in 2013.

Australia should play a bigger role in helping Asian countries meet their skills gaps through vocational education and training (VET) education, Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans has said. This could involve developing partnerships in areas such as "qualification recognition, a focus on standards, quality assurance and labour mobility".